Road Trip Hacks to More You Comfy

I remember reading a disturbing article on The Atlantic that explained how the Average American commuter spends 38 hours a year stuck in traffic. The even scarier thought is that this is a national average – the city dweller could probably double that digit as easy as pie.

The problem with commuting time is that we naturally perceive it as wasted time. And because it is perceived that way, it is very difficult to break out of those shackles of the mind and do something to change your routine. It is not impossible, it just takes a little bit of will power at the very start, and the personal development you will immediately feel will be enough to put you on a success high, and push you into achieving more.

The majority of commuters can be divided into car drivers and bus/metro takers.

The first group has the freedom of being on their own territory during the duration of the trip, but they also suffer the feeling of helplessness as the traffic pushes them around. Now, a driver shouldn’t get too comfortable and risk losing sight of the road, but he can take advantage of his car audio system, and the abundance of ebooks, fun radio talk shows, and language learning CDs. And keep in mind that with the growth of podcasts, radio is making a great big comeback. It is also advisable for car drivers to start carpooling their coworkers that live along the way. If you split the fuel costs with them, not only do you get great buddies to chat with during your commute, but you also come off cheaper at the end of the month, and you help keep the earth green!

Metro and bus passengers do not have all the perks of owning their vehicle. They are restricted to entertaining themselves with whatever means they can, as long as they don’t disturb the other passengers around theme. This means has a name, and it is a book. Use your commute to catch up on your Game of Thrones, because Winter is Coming, and you still haven’t reached the point where the show left off. Alternatively to a paperback novel, you could always go for the much more practical ereaders that all Androids and iPhones have access to.

There is, however, one type of commuter that doesn’t have to worry about any of these woes of traveling, and that is the cyclist. Cyclists spend almost an hour a day traveling and exercising at the same time, and if you are one of them, give yourself a pat on the back, your body loves you!